Weaken

A weaken question asks for the answer that makes the conclusion less likely. The best weakeners attack the argument’s central assumption. You do not need to disprove the conclusion, just damage the link between the premises and the conclusion.

Example

"The new policy cut accidents" is weakened by "Accidents fell just as much on roads that never got the policy."

See also

• Strengthen
• Assumption
• Flaw in the Reasoning

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Last updated October 12, 2026